The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-10-15
sELE.EpucArloN.
A Moral to Young People who would Ed
ucate Themselves by Reading.


Clapp, the Bohemian wit, once said:
"Horacc Greeley is self-made man
and worships his creator" The epi-
gram may have been unjust to the dis
tinguished journalist, but 1t exposed
the vicious tendency of so-called ''sclf-
made" or "self-educated' men to
plume themselves upon their achieves
ment." Their vanity is unreason able.
No man ever became great who did not
make himself, and there never
was an educated man who did not
educate himself. Every man." says
Gibbon, the historian, "who rises above
the common level receives two educa-
tions-thc first from his instructors;
the second, the most personal and inn
portant, from himself"
The singularity of tho so-called "self-
educated" man is that he receives no
aid from college and but little or no
help from school. He educated HIM
self by acquiring knowledge and form
ing the habit of thinking. In his strug-
gle he was, however, aided by college,
bred men, who wrote the most of tho
books he read. In his method of ac-
quring knowledge, the sclf-made man
is not more singular than the graduate.
when he begins what Gibbon calls his
second education. For no two men
ever acquired knowledge by the same
method. 1t is easy to read, yet no two
men, who have made anything of
themselves, ever read the same book in
similar way. Neander, the church
historian, read a book carefully
through. making notes on the margin.
DR.. johnson on the contrary. used to
dip into book ut random. He read
enough to seize the leading idea, and
then threw it aside. Daniel Webster
began with the table of contents and
only read such parts of the text as
would give him new ideas or add to his
stock of knowledge.
1t used to be said that one difference
between English and American gradu-
ates was this: the American had more
general information, when he left col
lcge, than the Englishman, who was II
"Scnior Wrangler;" but the English
man had mastered the few authors he
studied and was entitled to be called
"a scholar;' whereas the American,
though he knew little of every thing.
had mastered nothing. A man who is
simply curious contents himself with
facts. His method of reading will bo
very different from that of the man who
inquiries and is not satisfied unless he
knows the principles which underlie tho
| facts.
A law student. when he begins his
studies has Blackstone's Commentaries
placed in his hands. 1t is clear expo
sition of the common law of England,
written in style that makes it litera-
ture. 1t has, also, the merit-a rare
one in a law book-of being Ineligible;
but it is not deep. nor is it free from the
error of stating doubtful principles as
undoubted law.
Now the ordinary student of law is
simply curious to know facts He asks
"What?" and Blackstone answers his
question. But John Scott was an ex.
traordinary student, who was always
"Why?" When he began to study
law, he would have nothing to do with
Blackstone's elegant compilation. He
took the bull by the horns, and grappled
at once with Cooke upon Littleton." "
the dryest, the hardest, and the best
exposition of the common law. Scot
began his reading of Coke by taking tt
heart the old lawyers warning: "And
Albeit, the reader shall not at any one
day, do what he can, reach to the
meaning of one author, or Of our com
mentaries; yet let him noway discour
age himaelf but proceed; for on some
other day, in some other place, tina
doubt will be cleared"
Every student should write out thes,
warning words, and place the manu-
script where it shall meet his eye
every time he yawns over book hare
to understand. Scott not only reat
Coke, but he abridged it; when he ha,
mastered its principles, he grapplet
with the Chancery Reports. He mad
himself so well acquainted with them
by asking "why?" as well rs "what?'
| InhU nC COultl ICli Gitc NChy PhSO IL
which each of the cases was to b.
found, and state, off-hand, the precis
points in which they agreed or differed
Being too poor to pay the fee of on
hundred guineas for a years instruc
ton in special pleading, he copied al
! the forms he could lay his hands upol
, declaration, complaint, the plea, tn
replication, etc.-and compiled tw
} large volumes of precedents. job
Scott was a graduate and prizema1
of Oxford; but his second" education
received from himself, made him Lore
, Chancellor Eldon.
The moral to young men, and t.
young women, also, is this: He wh'
, would educate himself by reading mus
, seek fundamental principles. What
ever his method of reading, whethe
slow and painful or rapid and pleasant
: his mind must work, and not merel
receive thought. When he has aske
"What?' and has been answered, h
a must follow it up with ''Why?" an
, not rest until this, also, is answered
: Youths Companion.
Value Of White Topaz.